Exodus 2
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
My wife suggested that I turn my mic on and hum, but I decided not to do that. We are in the book of Exodus. We're in Exodus chapter 2. It's our second week in the book of Exodus, and we are going to walk through all of Exodus chapter 2. We will not always go through a whole chapter. Sometimes we will cover more than that, but at the beginning it kind of has made sense to do chapter 1 and chapter 2 the first two weeks.
This morning we are going to go through this whole chapter, and we're just going to read through it and talk and just try to make some observations as we go. We're going to meet Moses. Now Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. Now he wrote them under the leadership and authority of the Holy Spirit, but they are written by Moses. So Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are written by Moses.
They are known as the Pentateuch or often referred to just as the law, these first five books of the Bible. And Moses stands as a primary figure in the life of the people of Israel. You have Abraham, who's the father of the nation, and then you have Moses, who God uses in the Exodus, which the word Exodus just means going out. It's a leaving of the people of Israel from Egypt. So he leads in the Exodus, and he's the one through whom God gives the law to the people.
And so three figures stand kind of primary in the life of the people of Israel, and that's Abraham, Moses, and David. And so Moses is a major figure in God's history of salvation with his people, and we're going to get to meet him this morning. Now when this was written, Moses has already, this has all happened, and Moses is still around. He's the one pinning this, and so he writes, records for them the history of what happens in Genesis, and then he records this, again, under the leadership of the Spirit. It's not just like he got to sit down and write what he wanted, but he is the one who writes this.
So we're going to begin in Exodus chapter 2, verse 1. We're going to pray as we begin this morning. Lord, we ask for your wisdom and your help as we study your work. We ask for the work of your Spirit in us to believe, to trust, to see your goodness. Lord, we ask for you to reveal more of yourself to us, that we might more delight in you, that we might see our sin and repent, and we might find freedom and forgiveness in your grace. We ask all this in Jesus' name.
Amen. So what we're going to do is we're going to read through this, we're going to meet Moses, study through, just kind of talk through what's happening, and then towards the end of this chapter, we're going to see as the book of Exodus kind of pivots and sets up this major, here's what's about to happen kind of moment, and we're going to learn a little bit about the character of God, and what we're going to learn, which is what happens every time you learn something about the character of God, is that it's wonderful, that who he is is glorious, and it's wonderful, and it's exactly what we need. So we're going to learn a little bit about the character of God, and in so doing, see something wonderful about him, and something good for us. So, glorious about him, good for us, that's where we'll get to end this morning.
All right, chapter 2, verse 1. Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son. Okay. These are Moses' parents, we're going to find that out later. He knows their names.
We find out what their names are in chapter 18, but right now all that matters is that they're Levites. Levites being the people who God later in this book is going to make the priestly people, the priestly tribes. So that hasn't happened yet in the book. It's happened when Moses was writing this, and that's why it's important to say these are two Levite people. That's why it makes a difference. It says, The woman conceived and bore a son.
Now that would normally be wonderful news. But we're in the time of the Israelites being slaves in Egypt, and Pharaoh just made a decree that ended chapter 1, which is this. Every son that is born to the Hebrews, you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live. So there's no ultrasounds. There's probably some older ladies that looked at her and said, Oh, the baby's in the front, so it's a boy. Whatever that means.
Because I'm pretty sure you carry all babies in the front. But those are things that would be said to my wife periodically. I can tell how the way you're carrying that baby. It's a boy. So there's things like that potentially.
Oh, you're allergic to this now. That made you throw up. It's a girl. Whatever. They had those things, but they did not have any real way to know the gender of the baby until it was born. And when it's born, this moment, it would be wonderful and delightful and exciting, even though it's troubling to bring a child into a world where they're going to be a slave.
But if it's a son, the decree now is you spot a male Hebrew child, you throw it in the river. If you have a son, you throw it in the river. And if someone sees you with your son, they take it from you and they throw it in the river. This is heartbreaking. What would be a joyful moment is met with sadness. But it says this.
She had a son. And when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. That phrase, saw that he was a fine child, in the Hebrew is when she saw him that he was good. And that's the exact same phrasing that is used in Genesis in the creation accounts. That God creates something and he sees it that it is good. And I think all that this is meant to say is not that if he hadn't been fine, she would have done something different.
But that upon having this child, maybe she in her head was thinking, I'm going to have to follow through. You know, hopefully it's a daughter, but I'm going to have to follow through like we're in this situation where if it's a son. But what happens is she has a son and sees that, no, life is good. It's too wonderful to have a son. This is a good thing that God has created that is a blessing. And she just at that moment is like, I can't do it.
I'm not going to be able to go forward with what Pharaoh has decreed. And so she hid him for three months. It doesn't tell us how. It doesn't tell us what her day looked like as a slave. It doesn't tell us how often she had to try to sneak back to him. It doesn't tell us if she hid him and tried to pretend like it was a girl.
It doesn't tell us if she tried to act like she'd never had a son. It doesn't tell us any of these things. It's just that she hid him. And I'm sure there were some close calls. I'm sure there were some times where she was trying to get him to quit crying. But she hides him for three months.
But then it gets to where it's not doable anymore. And it says when she could hide him no longer. She's reached the place now. He's three months old. She's had the joy and the delight and the stress of having a child for three months. And she's coming to the conclusion, I'm not going to be able to keep this up.
There's no way to hide him forever. And if someone sees him, if someone sees him, it's over with for him. They'll take him and they'll kill him. And so she comes up with a plan. It says when she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. And she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the riverbank.
So she waterproofs a basket and then places her child in the Nile. She in some way does technically what Pharaoh said to do, but without accomplishing what Pharaoh wanted. But can you imagine crafting this basket, hoping it'll float, knowing you're going to stick your child in it, placing him in a river and then what? Waiting to see what happens. This is an awful day. She's giving him a chance.
It's different from just casting him in the Nile. And she knows that if someone comes along and finds him, she's hoping for something. We can assume that she's praying for something, but this is awful. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. It seems as if they're going to watch. Sister's going to watch.
It says, now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. It seems as if they maybe knew this was a place that was frequented by people. It doesn't tell us that. It seems like maybe they had a bit of a plan, but the daughter just stays and watches this basket. We don't know if they stuck it in a remote place and this randomly happened, or if they knew this was a place where people bathed and they put him there on purpose. It doesn't tell us any of that.
We just know that his sister watched. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, this is one of the Hebrews' children. She kind of figures out, okay, this is what's happened, but it says she took pity on him.
So she sees this baby crying and at this moment he's in her hands. His life is in her hands. She has the ability to do what her dad has said to do and throw him in the Nile. But it says she takes pity on him. We can almost see her smiling at him. Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?
I don't think that they usually were allowed to just go address the Pharaoh's daughter, little slave children. But she just trots up and says, hey, I couldn't help but know she had a baby there. You want somebody to take care of it for you? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, go. So the girl went and called the child's mother.
And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, take this child away and nurse him for me. And I will give you your wages. So the woman took the child and nursed him. This story is crazy. Can you imagine the mom's not there? The daughter runs in and says, hey, Pharaoh's daughter has your son.
I don't know if they had named him at this point. We don't know anything about that. And come. I said I would go fetch someone to nurse him. So she comes.
And I don't know. It doesn't tell us any of these details. I don't know if Pharaoh's daughter was naive. I don't know if Pharaoh's daughter saw all the way through this. I don't know how good Moses' mother's poker face was. But if you just put your child in a basket and went back to your house and then your daughter comes back.
Like the amount of sorrow and excitement. Like I don't know how you'd not have that on your face. I don't know how nonchalantly she was able to be like, yeah, it's whatever. I'll nurse him for you. I mean, I got nothing else to do, you know. Like I don't know how she was able to do that.
But she gets in a situation where she gets her own child back and she gets paid to take care of him. Now none of us wants to be in the situation that led to that. But getting paid to take care of your own children sounds nice. But the way that the Lord works in this to completely reverse the situation is amazing. That he works in a bunch of what we would say, what a random set of circumstances. How crazy is that?
It's like, yeah, the Lord's at work. And we're supposed to see that. So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew older, that's when he would be weaned. There's no way to feed a baby. He didn't have formula, so you needed a wet nurse if you're going to feed a baby.
And so when he's weaned, he's two to three probably. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter. Again, now another heartbreaking set of things that has to happen. Her son's going to live, but he won't be with her. But in this circumstance where his other option was drowning to death as an infant, this is a beautiful picture of God's grace to be at work for this mother.
To know her son will live. She brought him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses because she said, I drew him out of the water. Moses sounds a lot like the Hebrew word for drew out. It also sounds a lot like the Egyptian word for son. And so in his name, there's this picture of a son that's been drawn out.
And in his name, there's a picture of ultimately what God's going to do with the people of Israel. He's going to draw out his firstborn son, the people of Israel from Egypt. But she says, because, she said, I drew him out of the water. She names him Moses. And this is the moment where if we were good Israelite people, we probably would already know this story. But if we didn't, we'd go, oh, Moses.
Like, that's a big deal. And so that's what happens. We say, oh, God was at work in his birth. God was at work in the circumstances to keep Moses alive for God's purposes. I want to make one quick, I want to just point something out for us. Because it's not lost on the author of the book.
Multiple times in chapter 1, Pharaoh said, kill the boys, let the girls live. Let the daughters live. Pharaoh seems to not be that concerned about the threat that daughters would have. He's worried about males growing up and males fighting against him. He's not really concerned about the threat of daughters. But so far in chapters 1 and 2, five daughters have caused him a lot of problems.
Shiphrah and Puah, who didn't do what he said. Moses' mother. Moses' sister. And Pharaoh's own daughter. It's not lost on the Bible. It's not meant to be lost on us.
That how God works through daughters to accomplish his will. To thwart the plans of kings. And you will fail to acknowledge that to your own demise. And so we just need to see that and understand how God works beautifully through both sons and daughters. Alright. Verse 11.
One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. Okay. Moses has grown. Stephen tells us in Acts that he's 40. And he goes out to see his people, the Hebrews.
He sees an Egyptian. Egyptian's not his people. The Hebrews his people. And suddenly, I don't know about y'all, I have 1,000 questions. He was Pharaoh's grandson. What did it look like for him to grow up?
How Egyptian is he? Did they tell Pharaoh that he was Hebrew? Did she just show up with a baby? Is that normal? Were we okay with this? Did he get to grow up in the household?
Like, was it normal for them to do this? Why does he still understand that he's Hebrew? Were they nice to him? Or did they treat him like a Hebrew? Like, I have all these questions. And we get one day when he was grown up.
The Bible does not care about these questions. They're irrelevant to the story. The Bible gives us the information that we need to have. There's one bit of clarification that we're going to see in Hebrews 11 that gives us, shines a little light on this. But we'll see it as we keep going.
So he goes out to see these people. And it says, So what we see is that what was held out for him was pleasures of sin. Treasures of Egypt. Being the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Or aligning himself with God's people. Taking on burdens.
Taking on reproach. And looking ahead. Looking ahead. Like Shifra and Pua from last week who understood that this life's short. And at some point we stand before the ultimate king. Looking ahead to a reward that's beyond earthly things.
And how many people throughout history have pursued treasure and pleasure over following the Lord. Being willing to take burdens and reproach because he's better. And because eternity is better. How much is treasure and pleasure just a rhymey way to talk about the American dream? Honestly, I think that quite often if we're honest with ourselves. When we dream about the future.
What we dream about is me. I haven't changed. When I think about me in the future. It's not like I bet I'll be more patient. Maybe every once in a while I have that. Like for a fleeting moment.
And then I'm like maybe everybody in the future will be less annoying. Like I don't really think about my own character growth. I don't really think about maybe in the future I'll have developed. What I think a lot of times if I'm just. You catch me daydreaming. It's me.
But with more pleasure. And more treasure. It's me. But I'm on a beach. It's me. But my truck is new.
And I'm driving to the beach. Like whatever. And I think that so often. If you'll pay attention to the way you're thinking. That you probably drift that way as well. Things are more enjoyable.
That most of our lives is based off of. Let me find a little bit of pleasure. Let me get a little bit of treasure. Now it specifically says this is the pleasures of sin. Not to say that there aren't things that we can delight in and enjoy. In a non-sinful way.
But there is something about the allure. Of pleasure and treasure. That certainly makes us not want to take on burdens and reproach to follow Jesus. But Moses says no I'm going to join the slaves. I'm not going to stay in the palace. And so here's what he does.
It says when he'd grown up he went out to his people and he looked on their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew one of his people. He looked this way and that. And seeing no one he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Something happens in Moses. Viewing his people.
He sees one being abused and beaten. And it says he stands there for a second and he looks around. And then he kills the Egyptian. Hides him. The Bible gives no commentary. On whether or not this was a part of God's righteous war against the Egyptian oppression.
Or whether this was Moses' unrighteous anger. In a moment that led him to murder. We don't know if this was like killing in a war. Because God's people are oppressed. And that Moses is taking his first step as the real leader of the Israelite people. Or if this is Moses trying to get something drummed up on his own.
We don't know. We know he sees this. Premeditates it. He looks around. He steps in and does something on behalf of a weaker party. But he kills somebody.
And he hides them. And in that moment he's definitively chosen. I'm not going to be the son of Pharaoh's daughter. I'm joining with these people. I think we're meant to read Moses. If I was going.
If you were going to make me choose. I think I would read Moses. Given what we know about Moses as we keep going. And what we know about Moses as the Bible talks about him. I think I would read him in a more generous light. That he was trying to righteously defend the people of Israel.
But there is room for. That may not be what really just happened. And he certainly does kill someone. And bury them. It says. When he went out the next day.
So he goes home. Goes to sleep. We can assume. He goes out the next day. This is his thing now. He's going out to see his people.
He's going out to partake in their burdens. He's going to see what's going on here. It says when he went out the next day. Behold two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong. Meaning he evaluated the situation.
And knew this guy was wrong. Why do you strike your companion? That word strike. Has been used three times right in a row. An Egyptian was striking a Hebrew. Moses struck an Egyptian.
Why do you strike your companion? It's the same word. In Hebrew. So we're to see this situation just playing out again. And so he comes now. It's not an Egyptian beating a Hebrew.
It's a Hebrew beating a Hebrew. And he says why are you doing this? I'm going to make three observations about this. Two that I think we really need to see in the text. And one that I just think we ought to see. The first one I think we ought to see.
That I just want us to recognize. Is that I think. If you ask the Israelites. What is your problem? They would say. The Egyptians.
If you ask the Hebrew. What's the problem? The Egyptians are the problem. If you ask Moses. What's the problem? He would say the Egyptians are the problem.
But we've got back to back situations. Where one time it was an Egyptian. And this time it's two Hebrews. And I don't think we should miss the fact. That the Hebrews. Are part of the problem.
It's not just an external problem. There's also an internal problem. And the reason I think this is helpful for us. Is that I think. And I've pastored for ten years now. And I know myself.
I think we're most likely to notice external problems. Before we notice internal problems. I think. It's easier for you to understand. That your boss is the worst. The worst.
If your spouse. Would just get their stuff together. If your children wouldn't act like this. If your parents wouldn't act like this. We wouldn't have any problems. I don't know if y'all know this about me.
You would if you got to know me. I'm wonderful. And if I ever have problems at my house. It's the people that live at my house with me. That cause these problems. And if they would see things the way I see them.
And if they would understand that I was correct. When I said it the first time. So I didn't have to say it the second time louder. We wouldn't have any of these issues. That's in general how we approach life. That my problems are external problems.
If I had more money. If I just could get rid of. This thing for my life. If I could get rid of this person for my life. If they would change how they were acting. Then I wouldn't have any more problems.
And I just think it's helpful for us to acknowledge. For us to see. That I think the Hebrews would have said the same thing. And I don't want to give away the whole story. But I'm about to.
They get out of Egypt. And it's awesome. We're going to get to see it. Their problems don't stop. They get rid of the Egyptians. But there's a Hebrew problem as well.
And I think it's helpful for us to acknowledge. That works that way for us. One of the phrases I learned one time. Was that wherever you go. There you are. And it's just that.
Kind of tongue-in-cheek way of saying. You're going to keep having problems. Because you're part of them. So. That's the first thing. I just don't want us to miss.
The second thing. Two things that I think. That we really need to see in the text. And the text is making sure we see. Is this. It says.
Why do you strike your companion? In verse 14. It says. He answered. Who made you a prince. And a judge over us.
Do you mean to kill me. As you killed the Egyptian. So he goes and breaks up this fight. He says. What on earth. Why are you acting like this.
He looks at the guy in the wrong. And the guy in the wrong says. Who put you in charge. Are you here to murder me. Is that your thing now. You just run over to fights.
And murder people. Two things I think we need to see. The text. Shows us. They reject Moses. Authority over them.
This is actually a good example. Of what's going to continue to happen. He says. Who made you a prince. And a judge over us. Well the reality is.
He's not a prince. And a judge over them yet. But God is going to send him back. As a prince. And a judge over them. He's going to be the one who evaluates.
He's going to be the one who leads. And there's a rejection. Of his authority. That when he first shows up. And tries to do this. They reject this.
They don't want to have anything to do with him. Being the person who's in charge of things. Secondly. And this is the one that wasn't lost on Moses. Oh my goodness. People know I killed somebody.
That's the one that Moses. That was the big takeaway he took. And that's what it says. Are you going to kill me. Like you killed him. And he.
Then Moses was afraid. Made and thought. Surely the thing is known. And I read a couple commentaries. And they kept being like. I guess somebody saw.
He didn't think anybody saw. But somebody saw. And what I think is. The guy who was being beaten. By the Egyptians saw. And was like.
Hey guys. You know. The prince. Moses. The prince that's got a Hebrew name. Maybe they knew some of his story.
I was getting beaten by an Egyptian. And he killed him. I think that guy probably told people. If I had to guess. The one other person who was there. I wanted to write a letter to the guy.
Who wrote the commentary. Like I think I figured out the mystery. Surely the thing is known. When Pharaoh heard of it. So Pharaoh hears about it as well.
This news travels. He sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh. And stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. Thlees.
Goes to Midian. Sits by a well. This is Midian. We looked at this map last week. That's Midian. See my sweet paint skills.
So up there where it says Cairo. Where it's green. That little crescent there. Goshen's just to the right. Is where most of the Hebrew people were. And somewhere over here is Egypt.
All along the Nile River there. And then into the Nile Delta. And then he would have left. And come around to Midian somehow. But he escapes to Midian.
It's a different place. It's a good bit of way. And he's there. And he sits down by a well. Which if we know anything about arid climates. And wells.
You can guess. He's probably about to meet some people. And if you know anything about the Bible. And wells. You can guess. Those people are about to be female people.
And you'd be right. Here we go. Verse 16. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water. And filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
So he's got seven daughters. That are shepherdesses. And they are taking care of his flock. The priest of Midian. We don't know. To whom he was the priest.
The Midianites are descendants of Abraham. Through a concubine. But whether or not. They're not the covenant people of God. And most peoples at this time. It was very odd to be monotheistic.
To have one God. So most likely. He is a priest. That helps you worship. The gods in Midian. Potentially.
God. God. Is one of those. But we really don't know. He overall. In the book of Exodus.
Is seen in a fairly good light. And he does later say. That I can see now. That God is the only God. And he does offer sacrifices to him. Or that he's the greatest God.
Even if he doesn't say the word only. All right. Now the priest of Midian. Had seven daughters. And they came and drew water. And they filled their troughs.
To water their flock. And Moses is just there. The shepherds came. And drove them away. But Moses stood up.
And saved them. And watered the flock. So. Moses. Escapes to Midian. Sad.
Probably. Scared. Probably. But also like. I think I've made it far enough away. Knowing that.
He's had to take flight. Because Pharaoh was trying to kill him. He sits next to a well. Which is the place you sit. You get some water. Seven.
Daughters of Midian show up. Tend into their flock. Walk them up. They start filling up the troughs. And then another. Flock comes.
With shepherds. That just. Bully them. And run them off. And start letting their. So that.
The girls have done the work. They drew the water. They filled the troughs. These guys roll up. And they're like. Move.
Like if you ever had an older brother. That when you were brushing your teeth. Would just push you out of the way. This kind of. Same kind of thing. Like they're just.
Get out of here. We're in charge now. And then it says. Moses stood up. And saved them. And again.
I want more information. We know a few things. Usually. Men. That push women around. Are cowards.
And I'm not even sure. I'm sold on the word. Usually. I think we can just go with. Men who push women around. Are cowards.
And so that. Whenever a man shows up. And stands up to them. Quite often. They don't have any more fight in them. So we don't know.
How far Moses had to take this. We do know. How far Moses is willing to take it. And I don't know. If the shepherds picked up on that. I know that if this was a movie.
He'd have said some line like. I've killed before. And that was in my hometown. I'll kill again. Because I don't care about staying in Midian. Like he'd have something like that to say.
But he stands up. And he saves them. And then. It says. He waters their flock. And I love this.
And I don't know about y'all. But the more I learned about Moses. The more I'm liking him. Now. You might argue. That he meddles.
And he seems like he does. But there's something about Moses. That can't watch somebody being oppressed. Or bullied. Or mistreated. Without stepping in.
On that TV show. What would you do? Where something sketchy happens. And they watch people watch. I know what Moses would do. He would be all up in the middle of it.
Because there's something in him. That can't let him just hang out. And watch things happen. That aren't going. Like that people be mistreated. People be oppressed.
He can't do it. He could have been Pharaoh's daughter. Pharaoh's daughter's son. And he chooses. No I'm going to align with the people who are oppressed. And he goes into this situation.
And he steps up. And he. And then he waters their flock. So can you imagine. He's run these guys off. And then he sits there.
And he pours all the water back in for him. And all these guys just have to wait. However many shepherds there were. Just waiting until they're done. And they're done. He sends them on.
And he says okay. Y'all can come now. They're done. It says that he stood up. And saved them. Verse 18.
When they came home to their father Reuel. Which means friend of God. Reuel. He said. How is it that you have come home so soon today? So he's got priestly duties.
They're overseeing his flock. They don't ever get home this early. Because this was the normal pattern. Of them getting pushed around. I think they probably knew. They were drawing water.
For the other flock. But that was just how it was going to have to work. They had to get it all set up. Get it started. Then they get pushed out of the way.
He says. Why are you home so soon? And they said. An Egyptian. Meaning that's what he looked like to them. Delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds.
And even drew water for us. And watered the flock. And he said to his daughters. Then where is he? Why have you left the man? This is the best man I've heard of in this whole place.
He should have followed you here. Now it's possible. We're Western. We're like. In our mind. It'd be fine for them to invite him to come back to their house.
It is possible. That for them. They weren't really allowed to do that. But they're playing him up. And he says. Where is he?
Why have you left him? In kind of a. They say things not as directly. And it's like. He's now giving them permission. It's also possible.
That they really should have invited him. And he's like. What are y'all doing? Either way. Dads of daughters. Take an active role.
In helping them find a good one. Then it says this. Where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him. That he may eat.
Bread. Moses was content. To dwell with the man. And he gave Moses. His daughter. Zipporah.
So. Moses comes. And then we just. Jump ahead. Moses was happy to live with this guy. And be a part of their family.
And so. He's given. His daughter over to him. And he marries into the family. And she gave birth to a son. And he called his name.
Gershom. For he said. I have been a sojourner. In a foreign land. He feels his displacement. Alright.
Quick. Biblical. Dating advice. For young men. Isaac. Met his wife at a well.
Jacob. Meets his wife at a well. Moses. Meets his wife at a well. At a well. Young men.
Go get near water. Women have to drink. They gotta stay hydrated. We don't have wells. But stand next to water fountains.
And he drew the water for him. So be like. Hey. I'll press that for you. You can go hands free. And then say some like.
Good biblical pick up line. Like. I'd like to talk to your father. About marrying you. You're welcome. See how that goes.
Alright. Alright. Be willing to stand up for people. Who cannot stand up for themselves. I think that's a better thing to learn from Moses. That Moses is willing to.
In all these situations. Take on pain. Take on fear. Take on burden. For the sake of someone else. And I think it's a godly thing.
To do. Alright. Now it turns. This is where we're going to get to see something beautiful about the Lord. During those many days. The king of Egypt died.
And the people of Israel groaned. Because of their slavery. And cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery. Came up to God. And God heard their groaning.
God remembered his covenant with Abraham. With Isaac. And with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel. And God knew. There's four things that we're told that God does.
He heard. He remembered. He saw. And he knew. And in this we see. That this is exactly.
What. If we were wise enough to hope for it. What we would hope God would be like. If we were wise enough to understand. How. How we would want God to be.
This is exactly how we would want him. To be. And I want. I want to help us. See this this morning. It says he's.
He's heard. And that he remembered his covenant. With Abraham. With Isaac and Jacob. When we see that word remembered. We're inclined to think.
Had he forgotten. It's like he heard them groaning. And was like. Oh yeah. That's not at all what that means. First of all.
That's a covenantal word. The remembered. Meaning he's going to keep to his covenant. Also the word remembered. If it helps you. We can use it as.
Oh I just remembered. Where I left my keys. Or we can also use it as. You remembered my birthday. Yes I remembered. As in.
I never forgot. Another way to read that is. God had not forgotten. His covenant. To Abraham. Isaac and Jacob.
So he hears their groaning. And then it says. But God hadn't forgotten. What he promised to do. God hadn't forgotten. What he was going to do.
God hadn't forgotten. What he committed to do. God had not forgotten. What he covenanted to do. That's what it means. God remembered.
And so we actually want. We need. A God. Who. Hears. And sees.
And knows. We need that. They need that. They need the God. Who hears. And sees.
And knows. And shows up. In personal circumstances. For individual families. But we also need a God.
Who hears. And sees. And knows. And shows up. To defend. Against an entire nation.
Where there's oppression. And we need a God. Who hears. And sees. And knows. All the way into.
Our very hearts. And our interactions. With one another. That it's not just the people of Egypt. That are a problem. But the people of Israel.
Are a problem as well. We need a God. Who hears. And sees. And knows. But then.
We need a God. Who Acts. In accordance. With his covenantal faithfulness. Because him just hearing. Seeing.
And knowing. If he then had to act. In accordance. With your faithfulness. If he then had to act. In accordance.
With your merit. We'd be in trouble. What if he sat up there. And said. Okay. I hear that this is a problem.
But let's investigate. Whether or not these Hebrews. Deserve this. What measure is he using? If he looked at you. And said.
I hear your situation. I see your situation. I know your situation. And then basically. Had an interview. Where he said.
Come in. Sit down. Let's talk. I want to find out real quick. If you've made the situation worse. With your own attitude.
And your own words. I want to find out real quick. If you've ever actually been in a situation. Where you've done similar things. To other people. I want to find out real quick.
I need to evaluate. Your merit. I need you to sit down. And let's figure out. Whether or not I'm going to help. We'd be in trouble.
We know the Hebrew people. Would be in trouble. Because as soon as he said. Well let's see. If y'all are making this worse. We already have that answer.
So we need a God. Who hears. And sees. And knows. And then responds. Out of his own covenantal faithfulness.
Out of his own promises. The way he's going to do that here. Is he's going to raise up Moses. Who's an unlikely person to use. But he raises him up.
And he uses him. To bring about his promises. And what he's done for us. Moses is just a small picture. We're actually told in Hebrews. That Jesus is a guarantor.
Of a better covenant. Than Moses is. What he's done for us. Is the same thing. Where he sent Jesus. Who like Moses.
We said it earlier. He had equality with God. Moses could have had equality. With Pharaoh's household. But he chose.
To be burdened. And to gain reproach. Jesus had equality with God. But he chose rather. To join his people. To be burdened.
To take on our reproach. And to make promises. That he does not have to make. When God covenanted with Abraham. And Isaac. And Jacob.
He made promises. That he made. Out of his own goodness. And he keeps them. Out of his own goodness. He doesn't have to make them.
But Jesus comes. Does not have to do this. But he makes promises. Out of his own goodness. And he. The night before he dies.
He takes a cup. And he says. This is a new covenant. In my blood. For the forgiveness. Of sins.
And so we get to go to God. Not based off of our own merit. Our cry gets to rise to heaven. Our groaning gets to rise to heaven. And we get to plead with him. Based off of our need.
And his covenantal faithfulness. Lord. Lord. You promised. And sealed it with the blood of Christ. That you will forgive sins.
And you will not fail to do that. You promised. And you sealed with the blood of Christ. That you would forgive my sins. And that you would give me eternal life. And that you would give me a hope.
And I can trust. That you will not fail to do that. That you have not forgotten. Your covenant. But that you remember the promise.
You made to Jesus. And that he made to us. I know you see me. All of me. I know you know me. All of me.
And I know that you will act. Not in accordance with me. But in accordance with your covenantal faithfulness. And that is exactly what we need. That is good news. The band is going to come back up.
We are going to sing together. And church family. Some of you right now. You have placed your faith in Jesus. You are trying to follow him. But there is sin.
And there is part of you that feels like. How can I sin? Even though I am trying to follow Jesus. Will he get rid of me? Will he run me off? Will I be unwelcome?
Will him? And the reality is we get to go to him in repentance. Trusting in his covenantal faithfulness. That he promised and sealed with his blood. That he will forgive sins. And we get to go.
Lord forgive me. The hope that we have is not in your behavior. The hope that we have is not in your neediness. The hope that we have is that you won't somehow merit the ability to jump to the front of the line. The hope is not in you. It's in him.
That he'd remember his covenant. That he'll keep his promises. Oh and he will. Some of you have not placed your faith in Jesus. You haven't come to him. You're groaning and your cry has not come up to him.
Where you've said I need help. I need a rescuer. I need a redeemer. Maybe you think that what he expects from you is good behavior. That he's going to say hey clean up your life a little bit. Get it together a little bit.
And then we'll talk. Show me your neediness. Show me your desire. Show me that you're putting in some effort. That I'm a God who helps those who help themselves. But the reality is he's like Moses.
But to an itth degree that he helps those who can't help themselves. That Jesus is a greater Moses who shows up and rescues the people who could not rescue themselves. And then comes and makes us home with them. That he invites us in. That you don't have to earn anything. But you get to come to him and say I have nothing to offer.
I just need a rescuer. And that he Acts in accordance with his promises. That he'll forgive sins. And I would invite you to trust in Jesus. Because he will not fail to save. Because he will not fail.
Let's pray. Father we ask that you would respond to us according to your covenantal faithfulness. That you would remember your promises that you made to Abraham. That to the whole world he would be a blessing. And that you through Jesus brought about that blessing. And that you would remember the promise that you made to Jesus.
That you would hold to your covenantal faithfulness. That you will forgive sins for all those who will trust in you. That if our groaning comes to you. If our cry comes to you. That you will rescue and save to the uttermost. That you will take our sins as far away as the east is from the west.
And that you will remember them no more. And we praise you that you are a God who does not fail. You are a God who has not forgotten your promises. And that we can come to you and be washed clean. And Lord if there's a Christian in here this morning who's walking in sin. I pray that you would help them to repent.
And to appreciate and delight in the forgiveness that was purchased for them by the blood of Christ. And if there's someone in this room who has not yet come to you and said. That I need a savior. I will not do this on my own. I need someone who goes to work inside of me. Lord we pray that you would help them right now.
Through your spirit. To trust in you fully and forever. To know that you have promised to forgive sins of all those who come to you. We praise you in Jesus name. Amen. Amen.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.grown